Braids
by KathrynTheFangirl
Summary: Ri never fit in. She lived in Laketown and would explore the Lonely Mountain and visit Mirkwood. The Battle of the Five Armies changed her life when she saved a Dawrf- multiple times.
1. Chapter 1- Blood

It was the Battle of the 5 Armies. Merrithrin was crouching behind a large boulder with her bow poking out from around the side, she was picking off goblins and Orcs and had been for the past hour. Soon she got bored and ran into the battle with her long blonde braid streaming behind her. She swung her sword too and fro, taking out the goblins that were coming at her from the front as she pushed her way deeper into the fray.

Before we get too deep into the story I will explain Merrithrin's past. She was born in Late Town to a single mother who was originally from Rohan and never knew who her father was (her mother was of course a human). Known to her friends as Ri, she was not the typical young lady a mother would hope for. Ri would spend her days in Mirkwood with the Woodelves as a child, learning how to hunt, fight and forage. Her mother was not happy about this because Ri soon got a reputation for being quite the explorer. She would get up very early in the morning and creep around the Lonely Mountain until the sun set and she was hungry.

Back to the Battle, Ri was very close to the middle where she could see the dwarves that had visited Laketown earlier in the year. Then she spotted a great big Orc that was running hard and fast towards Thorin Oakenshield. She managed to get in it's path and as It came running towards her she ducked under it's spear and stuck her sword right into it's chest so it stuck out the other side. The Orc made a small gruelling sound as blood began to poor out of his mouth and then it fell sideways onto the red-stained grass.

Ri pulled her sword out of it's body with a little bit of difficulty because it was about twice as big as she was but she soon removed it only to find an arrow being pointed at her face by a sandy-haired dwarf, she thought his name was Fili but she couldn't be sure. Before she could say anything she saw an arrow flying straight for Fili's head she grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked his head out of the way in one swift movement. The arrow whistled past Fili's ear with only centimetres to spare. Breathlessly he said; "Thank you, I will make this up to you!"

"If we both survive." Yelled Ri as she stabbed a goblin trying to make it's way towards Fili.

Soon after she had saved Fili, Ri found herself fighting off an oncoming circle of Orcs with Kili. They were standing back-to-back, swords drawn facing the Orcs. They came running at them with a yell that sounded like metal scraping on metal. For the first couple, Kili tried to face them all at once but this failed when a particularly scarred one hit him just above the temple with it's mace. Kili dropped like a rock, leaving Ri to defend his body. "Bloody dwarves can't look after themselves!" she thought as she sliced open the scarred Orc's neck. The circle around her and Kili was swiftly closing in. All Ri could see were waving swords and axes and malicious looking Orcs.

She gave up hope then suddenly a shower of arrows rained down and hit the oncoming Orcs. The elves that Ri had befriended in her childhood had come to the party, lead by one of her best friends, Legolas. The elves were blowing horns that woke Kili who, even though had been unconscious, was up and fighting in a matter of seconds.

Ri escaped the Orcs after killing a good dozen and with a quick wave to Legolas, ran towards a group of goblins that were gathered round a body. The body groaned as a goblin directly in front of Ri drew back its dagger, cutting her from the corner of her mouth to her eye. In a split second after she'd been cut, the goblin's head was clean off on the ground at the hand of her sword. The rest of the goblins fled, looking for other fallen wounded to prey on.

The body gave another groan and moved its head. She couldn't make out who exactly it was but she recognised the dwarf body shape and dark hair full of blood. His face was covered in mud and blood that was caked on his face. Since she was near the edge of the battlefield, in sight of her boulder she grabbled the dwarf under the arms and hauled him behind the rock. This was quite hard for Ri because even though dwarves were short, she was still shorter than this one and she was of a slight frame.

When Ri had positioned herself and the unconscious, injured dwarf so that they could not be seen from the battlefield she pulled out her handkerchief and water-skin, wet the handkerchief and started to clean the gunk off the dwarf's face. When most of the mud and blood where gone, except in the spots where he was wounded, she recognised the dwarf. It was Kili. Ri sighed and looked at his wounds.

It looked like his nose had been broken at the bridge by something hard, there was no blood but there was a lot of swelling and when she tried to touch it, he groaned. His lower lip had been split very deeply, contributing to most of the blood on his face. The wound on his temple had gotten worse since she had seen it last and he had a bruised right cheekbone. Ri saw blood on the shoulder of his chain mail that looked like it was coming from his chest so she wrestled the mail off him and undid his shirt. Indeed, under his right collarbone was a gash about a hand's length. Ri was starting to feel quite queasy now and she didn't know why, then a drop of blood splashed onto Kili's and she remembered her wound. She touches her face and felt an abundance of dry blood on her left cheek and down her neck. As she was coming to a realisation about her wound, an almighty burst of pain hit and she fell unconscious next to Kili.


	2. Chapter 2- Aftermath

Ri began to stir when she felt a drop of rain in her forehead. Everything felt right until she remembered the battle and her wound, then the pain came back. She let out a cry that made her face hurt all the more and her eyes shot open. At first she couldn't see much because it was dark and her eyes were still blurry but as her eyes adjusted to the gloom she could make out Kili's concerned face.

"Did we win?" she tried to say but it came out as a groan. She tried to push herself into a sitting position with her left elbow but a shot of pain came from her shoulder making her fall back down to the ground.

Kili helped her sit up and he pulled her into a position so that her back was resting on the boulder. "We have to get out of the rain." Ri managed to mumble.

Kili laughed. "It's not raining. The moon is out and the stars are shining. We do have to get back to the rest of the company though."

"But if it wasn't rain… Oh." Ri noticed the trickle of blood running down the left side of Kili's face from his temple. She noticed it was going to run into his eye so she lifted her good arm and wiped the blood away with her sleeve.

"I've seen you before, I can't quite remember where but you look familiar to me."

"Oh I'm Merrithrin, I brought you most of you're food when you stayed in Laketown." Ri said.

"Merrithrin, that name sounds Dwarvish! I'm Kili nephew of Thorin, often confused with my brother, the much less handsome, Fili. We will talk more about trivial things later. I think you're shoulder is dislocated and you've lost a lot of blood we need to get to the others."

Ri stood up then leant against the boulder while Kili got up. He winced in pain when he shifted his wright onto his left leg. "Are you alright to walk on that?" Ri asked.

"I'm sure it's just bruising." He said.

When they arrived at the tent where the injured were being treated, Kili, Despite his wounds rushed inside to try and find his brother and uncle. Meanwhile, Ri stayed back, trying as best she could to hold her shoulder in place. An elderly-looking dwarf cane out of the tent and strolled towards her. "Are ye hurt lass?" he asked, "I'm Balin."

"I'm Merrithrin. I think my shoulder is dislocated and my face feels like it's on fire." She replied.

"Come 'ere lass, we'll sort you out. Ye just need a wee bit o' stichin' in yer face and we need to pop that ol' shoulder back into place." He ushered her into the tent.

The tent was a sorry sight. Closest to the door were the people closest to death, there were people with severed limbs who's stumps were dripping blood into wooden pails, there were people with infected sword wounds, arrows protruding from various parts of the body and the odd earless one.

Ri shut her eyes tightly and tried to think about nice things but it didn't work. As Balin and Ri came towards the middle to back of the tent, there were beings in much less dire situations. She recognised most of the dwarves on raised wooden platforms, she also saw Legolas who had an arrow sticking out of his left bicep but seemed to be matter-of-factly unaware of it.

Balin guided Ri to a bench and sat her down. "Now lass, let's see yer situation." He said as he lifted her chin up. He glanced at her facial wound. "Goblin sword?"

"Dagger."

"Aye, those things 'll give ye a nasty bite even in the hands of one with half the sense of a rock." Laughed Balin.

Ri giggled as the dwarf started to clean the blood off her face and neck. "Mr. Balin?" Ri asked.

"Yes lass?"

"I was wondering why dwarves seem impervious to weapons. I mean they still get chopped up as much as we humans do but you guys seem to get on with it better."

Balin let out a deep fruity laugh. "Aye we do lass, we do, how you put it, 'get on with it'. See dwarf blood is a lot thicker than human blood, so it clots easier and we don't feel as much pain as humans."

"Well that explains a lot." She thought of Kili.

"Ok, lass. I've cleaned the blood off of yer face keep putting pressure on it with this," he handed her a cloth. "I'm going to go and find the lad Ori, much better at stichin' that I am." Balin started to walk away.

"Balin!" Ri called after him, he turned around. "Can you see if Kili's alright, he was hit in the head with a mace and he's bleeding a lot."

"Aye, lass. I'll find him."

Ri lay back on her bench, closed her eyes and sighed. She thought she had finished worrying when her mother died but the emotion was back, and she was worried about Kili. He had lost enough blood so that his face and upper-torso were covered and he probably had a cracked skull, she didn't even want to think about the foot. He was probably only worried about his good looks because of the broken nose. Even Dwarves would feel that she thought.

A hand patted her arm and she slowly opened her eyes and sat up. A young dwarf was standing next to her clutching a bag full of needles and cotton. She remembered Ori because he was always very sweet and polite when she brought him food, sometimes he would even give her a roll because he thought she looked 'too skinny for her own good'.

"Hello Merrithrin!" he chirped.

"Please, call me Ri, Ori."

"Hello Ri, so I hear you got between a goblin's dagger and it's target." He smiled as he pulled out a fine needle and threads the width of spider silk. "Actually I was caught on the backswing, just happened to be running past at the right moment." She joked.

"Uhm, Ri, I hope you don't mind me asking but I don't think you're shoulder is suppose to be that far down." He said as he pushed the needle into the side of the scratch closest to her eye. "Actually answer that once I've done stitching your face, we don't want you to move while I have a needle in your skin, could be bad for both of us."

The needle felt like tiny stings running down both sides of the gash, her main pain was now coming from her shoulder. It wasn't the same pain as her face; it was more of a deep continuous throbbing.

Ori finished stitching her face. "Yes Ori, I agree shoulders aren't supposed to look like mine does at the moment. Would you be a dear and get Balin back to pop it back in? I would myself but I can only use one arm at the moment."

He smiled and nodded. In a flash he was back with Balin who was carrying the arrow that had been in Legolas. He put that down on the ground next to Ri's bench. "Did you find Kili?" She asked as Balin got behind her and put both hands on her out of place shoulder. "I'm sorry lass," he popped her shoulder back in and she let out a yelp, "Kili is nowhere to be found"

The noise of a great trumpet sounded and Balin bowed his head. "What Balin? What does that mean?" Ri asked in a panic as she looked around the tent and saw all heads bowed.

Balin replied softly, "One of the line of Durin is dead."


	3. Chapter 3- Deathstone

Ri walked slowly towards the tight circle of people surrounding the stone slab where the body lay. The crowd around the stone was growing as Ri watched from the shadows, trying to make out who was alive rather than the opposite. As she drew closer she saw the blonde mane that was a tell tale sign of Fili on the outer edge of the crowd. Quickening her pace she made her way towards him, nervously fidgeting with her sling and tightly wrapped bandages that kept her shoulder in place.

Before she reached him he turned around and beckoned her over. "Have you seen Kili?" they both asked each other at the same time. "Oh no." said Fili, running his hands through his hair.

"You mean to say you don't know who is dead!?" Ri cried, "You, one of the princes, should really be right up the front!" she waved her good arm in the direction of the crowd.

"Dwarves are really stubborn. Even if I said I was a god they wouldn't let me through. OW!" grunted Fili.

"Whet's wrong with you!?" exclaimed Ri. Fili turned around and she saw the shaft of an arrow protruding from the back of his shoulder, the head wasn't in very deeply but it was right under his shoulder blade. Half of the arrow had snapped off leaving what was left full of splinters. "I'll get Dwalin to pull it out later, in the meantime we have to get to the front to the pack."

"Wait, how have you not seen Kili? Aren't you two joined at the hip?"

"I have seen him once after the battle. He was going on about having to protect this girl, then he walked off towards the mountain to look for Thorin I think. He seemed really distracted, I was worried about him but I couldn't follow, I was helping the wounded into the tent."

"It occurs to me now I haven't introduced myself, I'm Merrithrin but everyone calls me Ri."

"You're the girl! I remember your name and your face but not together. I'm Fili nephew of-"

"I know who you are, we need to get to the front since neither of us are fit for climbing on shoulders."

"How about you try and get to the front, you're smaller than most of us dwarves, I don't know how you did it but you are."

"OK, I'll try my best but I can't guarantee I'll be able to see anything. Me being shorter than Dwarves and all." Said Ri. She walked away from Fili and towards the tight pack of Dwarves, Ri squeezed between them with difficulty until she could see the top of the rock, where she was unable to get any closer. Sqinting at the part of the stone she could see, she made out a mess of dark brown hair full of dry blood. Ri ran back to Fili and breathlessly told him what she has seen. His face fell, "Both Thorin and Kili have brown hair, damn Durin's line hair colour."

Fili and Ri sat on the outskirts of the field for an hour until Ri cried, "I can see someone in the Distance!"

"I can't tell who it is, definitely brown hair and they seem to be limping."

"LIMPING!" Ri screamed.

"What is the significance of a limp, Merrithrin?"

"KILI HURT HIS FOOT IN BATTLE AND WAS LIMPING!" yelled Ri with relief, waving her good arm around like a maniac.

The figure had quickened its pace and Ri could make out a lot of blood on the left shoulder of his mail, she was now sure it was Kili and started jumping about with glee. Fili had now stood up and was running towards Kili at full pelt. Fili reached Kili and they embraced, Fili grabbed Kili's face and head-butted him square in the forehead. Ri winced as she remembered the mace wound on Kili's temple, he stumbled backwards and put a hand to his, now bleeding again, would. Fili was still apologising when they got back to Ri. Although she was overjoyed to see Kili, she remembered the brown hair on the stone, which Fili had told her was called the Deathstone. (The Deathstone was where the royal dead were placed after battle until their tombs were ready). When the Brothers reached Ri, Kili unwrapped his arm from around his brother's shoulders and gathered her into a giant hug, he cradled her head and she buried her face into his uninjured shoulder. "Is your face ok?" he asked into her ear. She pulled out of the hug and said, "Ori fixed me up." She said and grabbed his hand and towed him towards the tent. Fili laughed but attempted to turn it into a cough as he covered his mouth with his hand, Ri smiled as she entered the tent that was much emptier now that the wounded had died or been treated. "BALIN, ORI" she yelled as she sat Kili down on a bench and pulled off his chainmail and shirt that was soaked with blood and sweat. Balin came from around a curtain, "Ri, ye found the lad. Good job."

Ri laughed and said, "He's broken, can you fix him?"

"Aye, I can, lass, I can." He said, "Lie down Kili."

"His brother isn't that well off either." She heard a groan from Fili, "He has an arrow in his back."

"Ye can't go walking 'round in that state lad, I thought yer uncle taught you better."

"Well… I was going to get Dwalin to pull it out later but…" stammered Fili

"Dwalin!?" Balin asked, "I'druther a blind Orc treating me, the brother is better at other things."

Balin reached under the bench Kili was lying on for some bandages and started to wrap up Kili's head as Ori walked into the tent. "I know who is on the Deathstone." He said solemnly.

"Someone is on the Deathstone!?" Kili cried and sat up, bursting the stitches on his chest.

"Settle down lad, yer headed in the right direction for a worse wound." Said Balin as he pushed Kili back down on the bench then started unpicking his stitches.

"Sorry we didn't tell you, Kili. We thought you had enough to deal with already." Said Fili.

"We were so happy to see you it also slipped our minds." Put in Ri, rubbing Kili's arm.

"Who is it lad?" Balin asked Ori. Just as Ori was opening his mouth to answer, Thorin, covered in blood and sweat with 3 arrows coming out of his arm, walked in and said; "Dain of the Iron Hills is dead." then collapsed on the ground.


	4. Chapter 4- Homecoming

Chapter 4- Homecoming

_3 Months later and Erebor has been restored to its former Glory. The people of Esgaroth have returned to Dale and the city is once again beginning to prosper. Bilbo has returned to Hobbiton with Gandalf and the dwarves are moving back into Erebor._

Ri was walking down a passage towards her assigned chambers, she had not come this way before so she was very curious to find out where she would be living.

She arrived outside a door with her name engraved in it and slid the thick brass key she had been given into the lock. When the heavy door opened she gasped. Inside was the biggest bed she had ever seen and behind that was a giant window. The mountain had windows. After exploring a bit, and finding the wardrobe full of ornate gowns, she came across a door leading in the opposite direction to where the wardrobe and the bathroom was. Curiously, she cracked open the door. On the other side of the door there was a chamber that was almost identical to hers except for a couple of tapestries on the wall. She didn't know who's chamber this was so she left the door ajar and decided she was going to have a long relaxing bath.

She walked into the bathroom and closed the door. Ri undid her braid and took off her clothes, she got into the steaming water and completely submerged herself.

After a good soak Merrithrin got out of the tub and wrapped herself in a vast, fluffy towel. She brushed out her hair, which when it was wet and straight, reached down to mid-thigh. Ri opened the door to her room and immediately noticed something was wrong. The door to the other chamber was wide open and she could see a pile of weapons laid out on the ground. She clutched the towel close to her chest, making sure it was securely wrapped around her. Cautiously, she slipped out of the bathroom and into the main chamber, startling the figure that was sitting on her bed and jumping in fright herself. "KILI WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM!? YOU SCARED THE LIVING HELL OUT OF ME!" she screamed.

"I'm so sorry, I thought you weren't here yet. I was going to surprise you." He replied apologetically.

"Well you did surprise me." She muttered, looking away. He chuckled. "GET OUT!" she yelled at him. "My, I've showed you more of my skin than you deserve to see." She added as an afterthought. "Thorin wants to see us in the throne room, it sounds important." He said then left her room and walked into the adjoining chamber with a grin on his face. After making sure he had shut the door so there wasn't as much as a hair's width crack between it and the doorframe, she unwrapped the towel and walked into the wardrobe. "Hmm Thorin… Important. May as well dress up." She muttered as she made her way towards the gowns at the back of the closet. Ruffling through them, she felt all manner of textures from velvet to wool. She decided she would wear a floor length light blue silk dress with black embroidery around the ankles and neck and a black corset that went around the waist and chest.

Even thought Ri had a beautiful dress on and glorious blonde, curly hair she still managed to walk like a boy. She never spent any of her time pursuing girly hobbies and enjoyed getting dirty and fighting but the one thing she would like to be able to do was walk like a girl. Her mother never really spent time with her after her father disappeared (He disappeared when she was a small child, around when she was five or six years old, her father said he used to take her on adventures and Ri would come home with flowers intertwined in the braids in her hair) and Ri was left to look after her mother rather than visa-versa.

Ri arrived in the throne room and saw Kili, Fili and Thorin bent over a map. She cleared her throat and the dwarves turned around and looked at her. Kili gasped and Fili wolf whistled, she looked at the ground and blushed, "So why do you want me?" asked Ri.

"Well, as you know, not all the Dwarves that came from Erebor have returned. Tomorrow the last party will arrive and in that party is someone very important." Answered Thorin.

"Who?"

"Well, I haven't told anyone, not even you boys, but," he took a breath, "Lady Dís will be returning to the Kingdom Under the Mountain."

A gleeful expression reached Fili's face and Kili shrieked, "Mother!" (Ri had guessed that Kili was a mother's boy). Ri smiled, "That is great news Thorin, but what has it got to do with me?"

"Well, it has two things to do with you. Number one, Dís is a _Lady_ which in Dwarf terms is a female fighter, she has that title, therefore can give it to another who deserves it. I think men call it knighthood." Ri was shocked to receive such an honour but kept her mouth shut because she was curious to hear the next point. "The next reason she might be of help to you is she knows the Dwarven family trees like the back of her hand. And no offence but, Ri, you aren't pureblood human."

Ri giggled, "I've been told that all my life but you are the first not to mean offence when you say it. Thorin, I'm honoured that you have even considered me for ladyship but I really don't think I deserve it." Ri was really nervous around Thorin, he had power almost radiating him and could silence a room without lifting a finger.

"Merrithrin of Esgaroth, you saved my and both my kin's life in the Battle of the Five Armies, you deserve a ladyship as much as the Dwarves deserve the riches of Erebor.

The next day Ri woke up feeling very nervous and sore, last night she had discovered the pain of a tight corset. The boning had left long bruises up and down her ribs.

She made her way to the throne room wearing a simple white gown. She sat down in her place, next to Kili who was on the right of Thorin who was on the throne. As the room started to fill, she became more and more nervous, she was after all, meeting the greatest Dwarven female warrior in a matter of minutes. Making her more nervous was that Kili hadn't turned up yet. Thorin and Fili had taken their places and still Kili was nowhere to be seen. Just as the trumpets blew to announce the arrival of the party, Kili slipped in the side door holding a chicken leg and ran to his seat. Thorin gave him a glare that would have made any foe shake in their boots but as the giant oak doors opened, it was replaced with a wide grin.

Lady Dís walked in the door, followed by a party of 40 or so Dwarves. She strode up to the throne and curtsied deeply, "Welcome home sister." Said Thorin.

"It's good to be back, brother." She replied.

Now is the ample opportunity to describe Dís from Merrithrin's perspective. Ri had seen a few female dwarves before since being in Erebor she had laid eyes on two, both extremely beautiful, not to mention bearded. Dís carried a different air to the ones she had seen previously. She had a regal aspect about her, her back straight and her shoulders square, she had long, thick dark hair almost identical to Thorin's but Dís carried a few gold streaks in it. The blonde was woven into an elaborate hairstyle that looked like a basket weaving that reached from her hairline to the crown of her head, the rest of the hair cascading down her back with a few plaits here and there, tied with golden clasps.

Dís' beard was braided in two, both sections going from her chin to under her ears where it joined the weave. She carried a dagger in her belt and an axe on her back, even in a place where she could be sure she was safe. Ri liked her already.

The formalitys were soon over, then began the feast. Ri had never seen so many dead fowl in the one room, as well as whole roast pigs, legs of lamb and beef ribs. The ale was carried into the hall by the barrel and soon, they were seated at great benches. Ri was sitting across the bench from Dís who had Thorin on one side and Fili on the other. Kili was next to her, moping because he wasn't quick enough to beat his older brother to his mother's side. "Cheer up!" Ri yelled at him over the racket as she raised her tankard in his face, "You are grumpy in all this merrymaking, I don't know how you manage it!" she took a swig of ale. Kili couldn't help but smile at Ri, she was not used to the Dwarves rich ale and he was sure she would soon be intoxicated but he was happy she was happy. "Merrithrin!" boomed Thorin, "I would like to introduce you to my sister baby Dís."

"I am not you're baby sister," she punched him in the arm with such force that Thorin yelped. Dís reached across the table, "Hello, Merrithrin, Thorin tells me you saved my sons in the battle, for that I owe you my debt." Ri shook her hand. "I am honoured to be in you're presence ma'am."

"Say nothing more child! Be silent and drink your ale, tonight is a night for celebration for the line of Durin is reunited!" She drained her tankard.


	5. Chapter 5- Ceremony

"So when are you going to tell her?" Fili asked Kili. They were both sitting in Fili's chamber in the morning after the return of their mother and the day before Ri's ladyship ceremony.

"Tell who what?" asked Kili

"Tell Ri that you like her." Answered Fili. They were both working on Presents for Ri. It was dwarvish custom for the royal family to each give a new lady a present. Fili was sharpening the dagger he had made her because he noticed her lack of one. Kili however was engraving the finishing touches onto a gold and silver plated wrist guard that he had spent hours in the forge perfecting. He was engraving _Courage, honour and a willing heart_ around the border of the piece in Dwarvish Runes then the language of men and then, even though he detested the people, Elvish.

"I… I don't know what you mean." Stammered Kili, looking up from his work.

"Don't play coy with me, brother. I know when you are smitten, and I'm sure Ri likes you back."

"I don't like her, Fili!" said Kili

"Whatever you say, brother. Just don't come crying to me when she is married and a mother. She is a beautiful girl Kili, don't let the opportunity pass you by."

"Ri? Have children? You must be joking!" laughed Kili, "She doesn't seem like the one to settle down long enough to even contemplate it!"

"Are you sure, Kili? You saw her when she saw Bombur's children, how quick she was to help his wife with the little ones. The way she smiled reminded me of you when Thorin gave you you're first bow!"

Kili smiled at the memory of Ri first meeting Bombur's family. He had four children and his wife was expecting another babe in a few months, the oldest one was soon going to start training with a sword, he was a tiny version of his father.

"Where is Ri anyway?" asked Kili.

Fili laughed, "Do you think that any human could drink that much Dwarf ale and not sleep at least twelve hours? I know she has our ancestry but she hasn't been taught to drink!"

Kili laughed as well.

Merrithrin woke up and groaned, her body ached all over, especially her head, and she had the sun in her eyes. Continuing to groan, she got up and submerged her head in a bucket of water she had left beside her bed the night before. When she lifted her head, it felt a lot clearer. She pulled on a tunic and breaches and stumbled down to the kitchens where Dís had promised to leave her some hangover medicine. When she got down there, she spotted a glass on the bench and proceeded to gulp it down. It tasted like pondweed and snails but it did make all her aches and pains go away. "Dís must know some bloody good remedies or she has magic." She said to herself. Ri always had the tendency to curse the day after drinking a lot, she didn't know why. She made her way back to her chambers feeling a thousand times better. She was still very tired so when she sat down on her bed for a minute she immediately fell back to sleep and woke up early the next morning.

A few minutes after waking, there was a soft knock on Ri's door. Ri, still being in yesterday's breeches and tunic, opened it slowly. Dís stepped inside as soon as the door was open wide enough for her to come in. "I'm here to help you get ready for the ceremony as you have no mother of your own to help. Sit down, child." Dís said as she pulled out a stool from under the desk. Ri obeyed and sat down while Dís walked into the bathroom and came out with a hairbrush. She sat down of Ri's bed and started to brush out Merrithrin's hair. After all the tangles were removed from the vast amount of hair Ri had, Dís started to plait tiny sections of her just above her forehead. "I loved braiding Fili's hair when he was little, Kili would never let me though. He heard a story when he was very young that said that if the first one you truly love braids you're hair you will spend your lives together, happy. We thought it was cute at first but it has persisted and he has never had is hair braided. I always wanted another child, a little girl but unfortunately my husband died before I could. There, I'm finished."

Dis had done tiny plaits and embedded them into a braid running down the back of her head and fastened it with a silver clasp in the shape of a rose leaf with miniscule sapphires dotted all over it. Ri gasped, "This is beautiful. Did you make it?"

"Aye, child, I did. It's my present to you on this special day, be expecting others from Kili, Fili and Thorin. Thank you for the compliment, I haven't been concentrating on my craft lately, traveling all the way from Erid Luin. I think I shall pick it up again soon." Said Dís, "What are you waring today?"

"I haven't really given it any thought."

Dís shook her head and smiled. "You remind me of a younger me. Come, let's see what's in your wardrobe." The two walked into the wardrobe.

Ri picked out a dress. "Mahal, girl! We want people to take you seriously. You can't wear a frock. How about this?" Dís pulled out a tight fitting sapphire tunic that went down to just above her knees with silver embellishments and some black leggings. "Perfect." Answered Ri.

Just as Ri was leaving to go to the ceremony Fili came up behind her and presented her with a stunningly made dagger. "Fili, this is too much! It's beautiful!"

"Just take it Ri, I made it especially for you."

"You… you made this? Fili… Wow." She breathed.

"I have to get to the ceremony. You should come too, we don't want to be late!"

Ri took the dagger and slid into her belt next to her sword.

The two entered the throne room and took their places. Fili sat down beside Thorin and smiled at his brother who was already seated on his other side. Ri stood at the end of the aisle, down the steps from Thorin and the brothers. She was facing the Oaken doors and rows of chairs that had been set up for the occasion containing hundreds of Dwarves, men and elves alike. The ceremony started and the giant double doors opened to reveal Dís in a similar outfit to Ri. She wore a golden tunic with black leggings and worn brown boots. She carried a pillow with a plain, sharp dagger and a band made of tiny strands of silver intertwined with rough chunks of sapphire and miniscule specks of diamond. When Dís reached Ri, she set down the cushion. "You have been chosen to receive the highest honour a female warrior can achieve. Merrithrin of Esgaroth saved Thorin Oakenshield and Kili and Fili of Durin in the battle of the Five Armies, taking wounds for herself in the process. I Lady Dís of Durin will now bestow the honour upon you. Please rise." Ri stood up and Dís picked up the dagger. Ri put her arm out and Dís took her wrist in the hand that wasn't holding the dagger. Slowly Dís drew the dagger across the inner side of Ri's wrist just below the base of her hand. If Ri had been listening she would have heard Kili let out a gasp. The cut started to trickle blood, Dís cut her wrist in the same place but lighter, over an already existing scar and pressed her cut to Ri's. "We are bonded in blood, we are bonded in spirit, we are bonded in soul. We will be bonded in battle. We will fight for our homeland!" Dís took her wrist away from Ri's and slipped her a handkerchief for the blood. Merrithrin knelt down again while Dís picked up the silver band. Lady Dís placed it on Ri's head. "Merrithrin of Esgaroth is no more, rise Lady Ri of Erebor!" Ri stood up and the crowd erupted with applause. Ri couldn't help but grin, she could make out a few familiar faces, she saw Legolas a couple of rows back next to his father Thranduil. She saw Balin and Dwalin on the aisle of the first row and Ori in the middle of the second row squashed between two very fat dwarves, he looked very uncomfortable but two polite to say anything. She turned around to see Kili grinning from ear to ear, Thorin chuckling at the gleeful expression on his nephew's face. Fili was smiling and looking like he knew something that everyone else didn't but Ri didn't pay attention to that, she was too happy.

As the applause died down the great Oak doors swung open to reveal a dishevelled Gandalf. "Orcs and Wargs plan to attack The Shire, they have found out about the Treasure Bilbo has, not the riches he claimed from Erebor but the present he claimed on the journey!"


End file.
